


Please stop staring at your phone

by britishngay



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: F/F, Heather c is a lawyer, Heather c is an idiot but she's my idiot who's afraid of relationships, Kurt is a BAD lawyer, Martha makes Veronica get a dating app, Online Dating, The heathers are not bitchy (anymore), Veronica is a journalist, Veronica is not good at messaging
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-08-11 08:44:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20150836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/britishngay/pseuds/britishngay
Summary: Veronica Sawyer was not one to shy away from things.When she was dared to jump off the roof into the pool at Courtney's 21st Birthday, she did it. She went sky diving with Betty Finn, went to College abroad with no qualms.And yet here she was.Sitting in front of her phone, surrounded by Martha and Betty and scared shitless





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Heya, this is my first work in the Heathers fandom, so if my characters are a bit OOC please tell me and how to improve xx

Veronica Sawyer was not one to shy away from things.

When she was dared to jump off the roof into the pool at Courtney's 21st Birthday, she did it. She went sky diving with Betty Finn, went to College abroad with no qualms. 

And yet here she was. 

Sitting in front of her phone, surrounded by Martha and Betty and scared shitless.

Veronica's love life was sub-par at best, since her and JD decided to end it mutually, she hadn't been very good at the whole dating scene. Her last girlfriend, a two month thing, had told her that she 'spoke too much and said too little' - that had stung slightly, especially when her job relied on her being concise and to the point. Martha soon cornered her in their kitchen and told her about this 'new' dating app that a coworker had told her about. This had continued for weeks, until Veronica finally caved in, Martha squealed and hugged her so tight that Veronica stopped breathing. Martha soon called Betty and that led to here.

Here being the inescapable fear of online dating, okay maybe she was being a bit dramatic but honestly Veronica was never the best at dating in person let alone online. 

"Okay, so - in the nicest way possible - we didn't trust you to fill out everything in the profile without accidentally coming off as pretentious or an asshole or both." Betty says.

"None taken."

"So you can ask to chat to people, see some people already want to talk to you!" Martha says, bouncing on the sofa. 

"Two people? Jesus, when did you set this up?"

"An hour ago," Betty says smugly, "we made a very compelling profile." Wiggling her eyebrows, Martha slaps her arm.

"Don't listen to her, we made one that was most like you. Have a look at who wants to chat, we'll be here with you." She says with her warming smile and kind tone, an arm over Veronica's shoulder. She always knew just what to say.

"Okay let's check out these losers."

She tapped on the message function and found two profiles. 

"Thomas Jonas, graphic designer, 28, lives in the area. Likes writing too, and fishing." Veronica reads.

"Wow this guy probably thinks that liking the Office is a personality trait." Veronica snorted, that was a very accurate description.

"Don't be mean Betty!" Martha chastises.

"Dick pic - abort abort abort." Betty shouts and Veronica quickly closes the chat. Great, just what she needed to see on Saturday morning.

"Does that happen a lot?" Veronica asks, if this is online dating does she really want to do it? 

"Unfortunately it does," Betty clamps a hand on the shoulder that Martha's arm is not on. Well, fuck, she is already regretting her decision to go along with this.

"Let's have a look at the other chat." Martha says quietly, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Okay, we got a girl, repeat we got a girl." Betty makes some kind of whooping noise.

"Heather Chandler, 27, lawyer-"

"Ooh fancy"

"Likes fashion, hanging out with friends and fixing problems." 

"Nothing obviously crazy, what did she send."

Heather C  
Chicago Tribune huh?

"That's it?" Betty asks, staring at the screen.

"Is she insulting my paper?" She had worked years, writing puff piece after puff piece until she finally got a glimpse at 'real' journalism. After being bounced from the sports to gossip to fashion, she finally her home in social issues. That Heather Chandler was not about to imply that her Tribune was only a 'huh'.

"Oh no Veronica, surely no-" Martha is quick to defend.

Veronica S  
yeah

any problems with that?

"Did- did you just send an antogonising message on a dating app?" Betty looks at Veronica like she's grown a second head.

"I worked hard to get that job and I'm not gonna let some fancy lawyer look down on me."

\-- 

Heather Chandler also did not shy away from things.

(Except maybe dating but more on that later).

She flirted with anything with a pulse, worked every case she had to the bone and tries her damn hardest to look after her little group. And if she was a megabitch now and again, so be it, she was known as the Demon Queen of Court for a reason. Prosecutors were known for shaking in their boots when they heard her heels coming to defend.

Heather did not date; she took people home, let them rock her world then kick them out the next morning. It was a perfect routine, it didn't interfere with work and no emotional connection means no emotional fallout; although it is a routine her roommates were starting to have an issue with.

"Heather could you maybe not bring someone back for a week or two? If I hear you fucking one more time I will pour bleach in my ears." Heather Duke says behind her cup of coffee. Heather Mcnamara quickly nods. They're standing in their kitchen, Duke with large bags under her eyes and Mac looking slightly less radiant than usual. Heather had just walked out of her bedroom, hair a mess, lipstick down her neck and a smug smile on her face.

"Maybe you're just jealous, Duke, after all we all know green is your colour." She jokes.

"We're happy that you're doing it, just maybe do it somewhere else?" Mac buts in.

"Or try to get a partner. You know, one that can stay for a bit." Duke continues, ignoring Heather's comment.

"I don't want a partner, I want a fuck." Mac passes her a cup of coffee while Heather sits on a stool next to her.

"You can have sex when you're in a relationship Heather."

"I bet she can't keep a partner." Duke starts looking at Mac, who quickly caught on to what she was saying.

"Yeah maybe she's too demanding or mean."

"I know what you're doing and I'm ignoring it." Heather turns on her stool so her back is facing the others.

"Or maybe she's too scared to get a partner." God damn it, Mac knows exactly how to push her buttons. She swivels around.

"I am not scared." Her glare, which used to make the others flinch in fear, made them look back slightly bored.

"Right," Duke raises an unbelieving eyebrow.

"I am not!"

Mac and Duke look at each other skeptically. Heather puts her cup back down and stands to leave.

"I'm not taking this, I have to go to the office."

"It's saturday!"

"And? I have a case on Monday - I'm not risking losing to Country Club Keith ugh."

"What about breakfast."

"Breakfast is for the weak." She responds.

Heather already used MeetCute to hook up with people, ignoring her messages she changes her status from hooking up to looking for a relationship. She has to prove Heather and Heather wrong, she's not scared of a relationship.

Is she?

(Probably)

No, she will find someone and they will like her and she will like them and it will last at least a month. Breathing deeply she started looking through the choices, until she came across a Veronica Sawyer. Huh, she recognised that name. She opened her profile to find that she wrote for the Tribune, that little paper that Mac was always reading. Veronica Sawyer, 27, can't cook, but can make up for it in writing and letting you win in mario kart. Interesting. She had to message little miss journalist. Now what to say, she couldn't come off as too desperate or too aloof; she was a genius at hookup etiquette but dating was new.

Okay simple thing related to her job.

Heather C  
Chicago Tribune huh?

Maybe that was too aloof, well too late it was sent now. She closed the app just as she walked in the office, let out a deep breath and got to work.

\--

Veronica almost forgot about the app.

The key word there being almost.

She had a Saturday off so she did the normal, bake with Martha, destroy JD and Betty at Super Smash while Martha looked on, silently cheering them on. Veronica also ignored her phone like it was the plague, hoping and fearing that Heather C would answer. She wasn't too rude right? She wasn't even rude, she was just responding to a message, really she was being polite. Ugh nothing she said to herself made her feel better. She didn't realise she zoned out until the tv shouted that Samus was dead and that Ike had killed her, JD that little shit, he smirked at her and she stuck her tongue out. 

Her relationship with JD was barely a relationship, they were basically friends that screwed and wished that they could screw other people. Mixed with her long hours during the day and his night shift, they barely saw each other and really it was over before it begun. She enjoyed his company, and he enjoyed hers so - even though it was rocky at first - they remained friends. Her failed relationship with JD was easier to think about than the impending doom of looking at her phone. She was being dramatic again wasn't she? She groaned at herself and vowed to beat the others next round. 

\-- 

Heather rubbed her temples as she listened to Kurt Kelly explain his case sloppily, how the fuck did this pillowcase become a lawyer? And why the fuck did her boss make her work with him. She's already saved his ass three times, now it's going to be four. His desk was covered in files and broken pens, with the occasional circular beer can mark. 

"So, like, the guy totally didn't do it but the evidence is being a dick." He finishes, leaning back in his chair.

"I've already got a case Kelly, and now I've gotta fix your mess?" He had the decency to flinch at her tone and look sheepish.

"I owe you?"

"Damn right you owe me." With that she gathers the files she recognised and rushes out his office. The bastard, he owes her a lot. She glances at the clock and lets out a breath, 1pm, she can finally be free from Kurt's cologne and stale coffee. Or for at least 40 minutes. She checks her phone while gathering her stuff, two messages from Mac, an email from her dad and a reply from Veronica S. She leaves, lights a cigarette and opens MeetCute.

Veronica S  
yeah

any problems with that?

Heather raised an eyebrow at her phone, so little miss journalist has a backbone.

Heather C  
No need to get defensive

I just recognised your name 

My friend likes the paper, she's an avid reader of the fashion column

She re-read the messages before locking her phone and looking for food.

\--

Just as Veronica was about destroy Kirby her phone pinged with the MeetCute sound.

Then it pinged again.

Then again.

She gulped while Martha squealed and Betty let out a shout. JD just looked confused and paused the game.

"We set her up with MeetCute and she got rude to this lady who asked about her job." Betty explained.

"Sounds like a very Ronnie thing to do."

"Piss off." She moved to open her phone and read the messages.

"What did she say?" Martha smiled.

"Yeah, what she say?"

"Come on, I'm invested now." JD says, with his voice that makes everything sounds melodramatic. Veronica rolled her eyes.

"She said 'No need to get defensive' then 'I just recognised your name' then said her friend reads the paper." Veronica stares at her phone, suprised at the responses.

"Well that could've been a lot worse. Ow" Betty said, before getting whacked by JD. She did not shy away from things, especially not a fancy lawyer who doesn't mind that she was rude to her on a dating app. She gnaws on her lip, fingers hovering over the keyboard, wondering what to reply. She ignores everyone's inputs and stares, breathes deeply and replies.


	2. Chapter 2

Heather's just finishing her cigarette when her phone vibrates. It vibrates again, she would expect it to be a phone call but her phone is vibrating so sporadically that she knows it's texts. She thought it would be Mac, or even Duke ranting about something, but instead it was little miss journalist.

Veronica S  
sorry about that - i really like my job and it took a while to get there

so i get defensive

i used to work in fashion

wasn't good at it

so i got transferred

so

yeah

sorry for being rude

i'm new to this in case you can't tell

again sorry

Heather C  
I never thought that someone could ramble via text

I was wrong

She checked the time and saw that she still had time before she had to go back to the office and to Kurt. Half an hour. She goes to the food truck on the corner of the block and gets her usual taco. If the fast response was any indicator she was good at this dating business. 

(She wasn't but no one tell her that)

\-- 

Veronica, five blocks away, is freaking out.

How was she supposed to respond to that? She must look like a fish, opening and closing her mouth until Betty grabs the phone from her hands. She was confident two minutes ago, what the fuck happened?

"I was wrong? Is this how lawyer's flirt? JD help." She pushes the phone into his hands.

"Hey, I'm a dinosaur, I didn't notice Veronica liked me until she busted into my room and seduced me." Veronica blushed at that memory. She had embarrassed herself at a christmas party, convinced herself she was going to get fired, got hammered and went to JD's flat claiming to be a 'dead girl walking' luckily he was also wasted and it led to some very good sex but not a good way start to a relationship. And she wasn't even fired. This has strayed from the original point, the point of this story is that Veronica does bad things when drunk but also that she tends to do things when drunk, hence why she never shies away from things. 

Apart from texting Heather C back. Because apparently that is a very hard thing to do. Martha grabbed the phone and tutted at their antics, honestly, being the Mom of the group was hard sometimes.

"What was your first thought when you recieved the messages?" 

"Uh, fancy lawyer is kinda mean but flirty?"

"And what did you want to say in response?"

"Apologise again?" Betty whacked her on the back of the head and JD whacked Betty on the back of hers.

"I got you Ronnie." JD says, she smiled weakly in response. Martha gave the phone back to Veronica.

"Flirt a bit, it never goes wrong." God, Martha was like a wise woman.

Veronica S  
let me guess, you're not the type to get things wrong

Does that count as flirting? Well it does now.

(It really really doesn't).

She checked the message over before showing the others, JD gave a thumbs up and Betty gave an appreciative nod, Martha gave her a side hug. Veronica sent it and turned her phone to silent to avoid thinking about it for a few hours.

"Ready to get wrecked in Mario Kart?"

\--

Heather's phone vibrated just as she got through the door of her office. Damm it, Flemming was awful about phones, she'd just not have to reply for a while. 

Her afternoon, went about as well as her morning. Kelly fell asleep at his desk, meaning that Flemming shouted at him and Heather, she spilt some coffee down her favourite red shirt and the case against Country Club Keith was not looking any better then it had yesterday. She could use a hook up, but she did feel kinda bad about being so loud. Maybe no hookup tonight, maybe some booze and laughing at the Vampire Diaries with Mac and Duke. Sounds like an evening in heaven.

Her mind drifted to Veronica S. She was interesting, one second she was ready to fight, the next she apologised and rambled like no tomorrow. But she wanted to know more about the girl. For christ's sake, Heather didn't even know what she looked like. The stupid app focuses on 'connection' so there's no photos on profiles.

Veronica S  
let me guess, you're not the type to get things wrong

This girl changed like the tides. She just unlocked her apartment to find Heather and Heather watching tv.

"Oh you spilt coffee on the silk one." Mac whined, pouting at the shirt.

"Do I need to invest in earplugs?" Duke asks.

"No."

"No?" Duke paused the tv. Heather rolled her eyes, it wasn't that big of a deal.

(It actually was, this would be the first time in two weeks that Heather would be home without someone on her arm).

"I'm going to try and get a partner." They both squealed.

"Oh my god! YES!" Mac rushes up to Heather and hugs her. "Have you started messaging someone? Can we see them? Oh my god oh my god. We thought you were too scared of emotional maturity and trusting someone else so you buried yourself in sex, but look at you!" Mac gets out in one breath.

"Yeah, now i can cook for four people instead of three."

"Whoa, let's not get hasty, I texted this one gi- hey!" Duke grabs her phone that she had stupidly left open while coming in. Mac looked at the phone with a sorry expression while Duke cackled.

"Oh dear lord you are atrocious at this." Duke gasps in between laughs.

"That kinda flirting works in person, you know, when you can control the tone of your voice?"

"You're coming off as a mean control freak."

"Which you are but that's third date stuff. Props to her she's keeping up with you bullshit pretty well, good thing she's new at this."

"She used to work in the fashion column? Was she the one who got teal and mauve mixed up?" They start typing, Heather honestly sees her life flash before her eyes. She loves these bitches, but does she trust them with her love life? 

To put it as bluntly as possible, no.

Also love life? She had decided that morning that she was going to prove them wrong and now she's doing this? Wow, shit happens fast. She starts to grab at her phone, but by that point they had sent something.

Heather C  
You'd be right about that

Were you the person who got teal and mauve mixed up? Mac had a meltdown over that lol

Damn it, it sounds just like her, but better than what she would've said. The response was almost immediate.

Veronica S  
...maybe

in my defense, i didn't know difference, they're both weird words

"Is it weird that I find that kinda cute?" Shit did she say that out loud?

"Omg you're invested! It's been 9 hours!"

"Shut up! Heather!"


	3. Chapter 3

Veronica is not going to admit that she is liking the whole online dating thing. And definitely not to Martha, who has been uncharacteristically smug everytime she's texting Heather C.

She chalks it up to spending too much time with JD.

In her defense, she is only human and when she can tell that Heather C has chuckled or rolled her eyes because of something she has said it makes stupid little butterflies travel down her throat to her stomach. She's chewing on a pen during a meeting about meeting deadlines, thinking about what she wants for dinner and not about how Heather C's favourite colour is red and how she has to cover for Kurt the way Veronica has to with Ram and how her favourite snack is BQ corn nuts. Absolutely not. (She is).

The day ends as slowly as it started, and with the same shitty coffee that gets made by whoever can be assed in the morning; which, come to think of it, is probably why it's so shitty. She texts Martha asking if she wants take-out and leaves as quick as she can.

\--

It's been a month of them talking and if Heather doesn't see Kurt Kelly's dumbass face in the next minute she will punch something. Preferably something that is not a wall, although that seems to be the only feesable option. Luckily, she runs into him when she turns the next corner. He takes one look at her expression and he starts to splutter apologies.

"H-hey Heather, m-my bad-," he tries to get out.

"You've lost Heather privilages, you will call me Chandler from now on and if you make eye contact; you will regret it." She grits out.

He nods and rushes off. She saved his ass on the case, only for him to go tell Flemming that all the work was his, luckily she recognised Heathers neatly joined writing instead of his messy scrawl. It was a double edged sword, on one hand, she was praised for work and helping a colleage out, on the other hand she should have been focusing on a different case and got chewed out because of it.

She yawns, she had only got a couple of hours of sleep because she was talking to Veronica all night. She didn't regret it, the girl was funny and dorky and quickly getting into Heather's thoughts.

She was getting invested, fuck, she hates it when Duke is right.

She had asked what Veronica looked like and she laughed (or at least what she could convey over text) and said she had brown hair, brown eyes and said one of her friends lovingly called her a beanpole. Heather quickly learned that Veronica's friends mean a lot to her so she was praying that they would like her if they ever met. She couldn't it, the girl was charming in the nerdiest ways possible, her love of puns caused Heather to groan out loud on multiple occasions but a smile was always brought to her face.

\--

Veronica is stifling yawns in a meeting with her editor about a new story on the effect of social media on teens.

A boring story from a boring editor but Veronica knows she is the most reliable one to not make it the piece of writing that every baby boomer and concerned parent had read three months prior. She is finally allowed to go and nods to her cubicle buddy, Courtney, who is irritating but keeps enough to herself that it isn't the worst person she could be seated with. Veronica slept like the dead as soon as Heather realised it was far past midnight and her alarm had not been a welcome sound that morning. JD had forgotten to grab caffinated coffee, and that makes every morning with a meeting with her editor worse.

So she drinks the dregs of good coffee from the pot in the break room, winces and starts writing. Every couple of words, her mind drifted to Heather. She always snapped herself out of it quickly - she was at work, she should only be thinking work related thoughts.

(She definitely did not snap out of her Heather related dazes quickly)

When she had written only half of what she wanted, her alarm for lunch went. She nodded to Courtney again and left, on the way out she say the office idiot Ram Sweeney trip into the printer and get ink all over his trousers. She tried her best to not snort and chortle on her way out but the way that other people stare at her on her way out shows that she is unsuccessful and doesn't really care. The thought that Heather would fine it funny crosses her mind. She debates texting her or not, what if she's had enough of me? We did text practically all night, she probably wants to be left alone.

The desire to maybe make Heather laugh won over her desire to not be annoying.

_Veronica S_

_ idk if you're having a good day or not _

_but _

_imagine your office idiot triping into a massive printer and soaking his brand new trousers in ink incredible what a way to start lunch _

The response was suprisingly quick, Heather must be on her break as well.

_Heather C_

_ Ugh what i wouldn't give to see Kurt Kelly do that _

_Asshole got me chewed out by Flemming _

_Veronica S _

_aww poor miss 'i can come in half an hour late_ _unscathed because i got flemming coffee once' _

_ Heather C  _

_Why am I texting you again? _

_Veronica S _

_because i am a legit snack _

_and im funny _

_:p _

_see _

_funny _

Her lunch break ended far too quickly and she walked back into the office, brain going on autopilot and completing whatever she can finish before getting back to her flat.

She thanked whatever God she doesn't believe in that it's Friday and that she can get home, watch the Princess Bride with her friends for the hundredth time and get slightly tipsy.

\--

Ehen Heather drudged home she wanted a relaxing shower, sweatpants and ideally a twelve hour sleep.

What she got home, she gets assulted by Mac shouting about a promotion Duke got. Which, congrats Duke, Heather had no idea she could get anymore promotions.

They open a bottle of prosecco which quickly turns into two.

And then they run out of prosecco.

So it gets to beer.

Then whatever spirits they have and Heather has never been happier that she spent so much of her time in College drinking so she isn't completely fucked by the time Mac and Duke are calling her to get them more alcohol and she abliges because, honestly, they deserve to get completely fucked on a Friday.

"You need to meet Veronica S!" Mac slurred happily, smiling goofily.

"Yeah, Mac's like head of something, I got a promotion - where's your happiness?"

"Uh, I'm a successful young lawyer who is loaded and can buy booze whenever?"

"She has a fair point Heather." Mac unsuccessfully whispers to Duke.

Heather rolls her eyes.

"Besides, it might be too early for that."

She gets up and stretches before heading to the kitchen.

But Heather realised that she made a mistake leaving them alone with her phone when she hears Mac screeching something about someone picking up.

\--

Veronica was watching the Princess Bride while this was all going down. Martha mouthing almost every line and Betty making little comments that made Martha elbow her - when her phone started vibrating.

_Incoming video call from Heather C._

"What the fuck?" Betty grabbed her phone at the outburst and started cackling, Martha paused the film and said that yes she looked okay and yes she should answer.

She was met with two girls, one dressed in green, the other in yellow.

"Am I being catfished?" Veronica felt herself say.

"_Oh my god! She picked up! Heather she picked up_!" The one in yellow squealed in a very Martha like way, although her words were slurred slightly, she had obviously been drinking.

"_Heather what have you done?_" Another voice off camera had done. Is it weird to find a voice attractive? Because damn, that's a hot person's voice.

"_Don't been mean to Heather, Heather! We wanted to know what Little Miss Journalist looked like_." The girl in green shouted back, a smirk on her face.

"Little Miss Journalist? What?"

"_Yeah we wanted to know what Veronica S looked like!"_ The yellow one (Heather?), affirming what the green one said. The phone got jolted out of the green one's hands. The screen became pitch black.

_ "I wanted to see Veronica, when I wasn't half drunk and look like a mess." _

Okay so Heather C is the one with the hot voice, Veronica is in so much trouble.

"_You looook really pretty Heather! You always do!" _

_"You know I hate to compliment you, but your ability to look perfect even when a mess is admirable." _

Betty cleared her throat. "Hey traffic lights, we can still hear you." There was a squeak, a cackle and a muffled oh fuck.

"And she's really cute too Heather!"

The phone was turned and there was Heather C in all of her half drunk glory. Betty wolf whistled and Martha tutted while Veronica's jaw dropped.

No one had a right to be that pretty.

She had curly ginger hair, slightly messy red lispstick and smudged eyeshadow.

To repeat: no one had a right to be that pretty, especially while half drunk. 

"Uh hey?" Veronica raised her hand in a little wave, her shoulders rising up higher and higher.

"_Hey_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy look who figured out how to use italics and shite
> 
> Hope you enjoyed xx


End file.
